


Trade Secrets

by PoisonousTouch



Series: Evelyne's Saga [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Goblins, High Fantasy, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 08:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30035622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonousTouch/pseuds/PoisonousTouch
Summary: After coming back from her time on the beach with Zofia, Evelyne needs to find a solution to be able to take her friend onto land. And perhaps the Grimbarth family might know a few things that would help her in her search.
Series: Evelyne's Saga [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740829
Kudos: 1





	Trade Secrets

Evelyne spent the return trip to the Grimbarth mansion looking through the stagecoach's window, deep in her thoughts. Weighing her options, pondering how to find a competent enchanter in Narka and preferably without her father learning of it.

The goblin already knew what to say, in order to explain why it took her so long to come back from her visit to the Orschen. She would simply tell Zephirin that after accepting her apologies, prince Maximilien invited her for a stroll along the cliffs and, not wanting to appear impolite, Evelyne accepted the invitation. It wasn't too far from the truth : the small noble did take a stroll on the beach... Although without Maximilien's company, to meet with her friend of the sea.

It was almost a surprise to Evelyne when the stagecoach stopped. The goblin looked through the window on the other side of the vehicle, seeing the Grimbarth abode. It felt as though only a few minutes had passed... Was she lost in her thoughts for so long ?

Heh, it didn't matter. The small noble saw the same elven servant as the previous day approach. The man readjusted his glasses, before opening the door to let Evelyne get off the vehicle. The elf greeted the goblin with a curtsy, before accompanying her back to the mansion and leading her to the dining room.

The Grimbarth's dining room was as impressive as the rest of the house. Perhaps a bit on the smaller side because of the mansion's size, but between its lavish decoration, the elegant shades of blue used for the decor and the table just large enough to welcome the family and a few guests, the room felt just intimate enough for its size not to matter.

As the two walked in, Evelyne took a quick look around the table. As she had guessed, her father and their hosts were already seated. And it seemed as though the household had an additional guest, as the goblin's eyes lingered on the small woman sitting next to the Grimbarth patriarch.

Evelyne guessed she must have been a city elf. Although they were more commonly referred as « gnomes », for most. Sporting pointy ears, the gnomes were supposedly a race of elven heritage, but their diminutive form would have one think otherwise. Where the elves were strong and able to withstand the unforgiving wilds of the world, the gnomes were barely anything like them. Rarely ever growing up to become one meter tall, the city elves were the only people that Evelyne could physically look down on.

Unfortunately for her, Evelyne couldn't get a look long enough to try and see if she recognized this woman. The servant accompanying her stopped, announcing the small noble's arrival with a curtsy, prompting the goblin to salute the table in turn. She then walked up to the one remaining empty and took place with the others.

Zephirin's eyes turned to his daughter as she sat down. With the expression on his face, Evelyne already knew what was coming. « -You were gone for quite a while... » remarked the old man. « What took you so long, dear ? »

Just as she expected. « -My apologies for this extended absence. » started Evelyne. « After I apologized to prince Maximilien, he offered me to spend some time with him. »

« -What ? » Lucian cut her off, raising an intrigued eyebrow. « Since when does Maximilien want to spend time with goblins ? »

Evelyne frowned, glaring at the impolite young man. Not missing a beat, Gabriel answered his brother's question with a sober and firm « -Let her talk, Lucian. »

« -Fine, fine... » replied Lucian, rolling his eyes. The goblin could tell that the flame-haired twin didn't seem to believe her story in the slightest... Not like it mattered to her.

« -... Thank you very much, Gabriel. » Evelyne said to the older twin before looking back at her father. « We went strolling on the nearby beach. Unfortunately, we did not see the time pass and by the time we were back to the Orschen keep, noon arrived. Maximilien offered me to lunch with his family, but I refused. Once more, please do pardon me for my late arrival. »

« -I see... I see. » nodded Zephirin. Not questioning his daughter's explanation any further. « How kind of him, after the scene caused by that incident... Hopefully, nothing of the sort will happen again the next time we receive an invitation from his family. »

Evelyne sighed quietly, turning her head back to the plate in front of her. She was so tired of people assuming she was always responsible in one way or another when some petty scheme from Amelia turned sour. And the goblin wasn't sure if she hated the following lengthy lectures from her father more than the pranks themselves.

The Grimbarth patriarch cleared his throat. It seemed as though he himself was getting bored of this whole story. « -Anyway ! If the Orschen forgave your daughter, there's no reason to dwell on this any longer, Zephirin. Let's cut to something else, shall we ? »

« -You are right. » nodded the old man, before looking back at Evelyne. « Besides, I don't think you've been introduced to our host's wife... »

Benjamin's wife... Realizing that this must have been the unknown woman she had spotted, the goblin turned her head toward the gnome. So, she wasn't just another guest... Evelyne took a good look at her. Or at least, as much as she could, from her side of the table.

« -Ah, right... I don't think you've met yet. » commented Benjamin, raising his hand to the small woman. « Well Evelyne, allow me to introduce you to Livia. Livia, this is Evelyne. Sir Zephirin's daughter. »

The Grimbarth matriarch had a round, pretty face as city elves often had. Her long hair was a deep shade of red, dressed in a ponytail looped upward. And from what the small noble could see, she seemed to be wearing a light blue dress with no sleeves. The woman stared back at Evelyne with a small, uneasy smile. « -Hello ! It's a... Pleasure, to meet you. » nervously said Livia, giving a small wave to the goblin.

« -Greetings, missus... A pleasure I most assuredly share. » replied a slightly perplexed Evelyne with a small nod. Looking at Lucian and Gabriel, one wouldn't expect for their mother to be a city elf. The twins looked perfectly human, both of them the size of adult human men. « I did not know you were with us... I do not recall seeing you last evening. »

Livia looked away. She was either shy or not comfortable having a goblin at her table... Probably a bit of both, guessed Evelyne. « -Oh, huh... My apologies if we couldn't get acquainted right away... » Livia started explaining. « I just wasn't in Narka because of some family matters... I only got home a few hours ago. »

« -No need to be sorry, you know... » commented Lucian once more, to Evelyne's displeasure. « You didn't really miss anything. »

The small noble threw a glance at him, frowning in silence. Couldn't Lucian hold his tongue for even a minute ? Nevertheless, Livia's cheeks reddened, visibly unable to look at the young man. « -Heeeeh... It's... Still pretty impolite, Lucian... To receive guests and... Not being here to greet them. » replied the gnome.

Evelyne fully expected for the flame-haired twin to make another one of his intellectual remarks... But strangely enough, Lucian didn't talk back to Livia with any witty comment. Instead, the young man simply sighed before looking away. « -Yeah, yeah... If you say so... » he ended up replying.

« -Besides, I think our guests could do without your snarky comments. » coldly added Gabriel.

« -Shut up, Gab... » Lucian retorted, glaring at his brother.

« -Boys... Don't fight, please... » Livia timidly tried to calm the two of them down. Making the flame-haired twin groan, clearly wanting to add something. But thankfully, Lucian seemed to contain himself once more.

How curious, thought the goblin. So far, she wouldn't have thought that the young man would be respectful to anyone, especially not someone who seemed like a pushover like his mother. Evelyne wondered for a moment, why would Lucian have more respect for the city elf than the rest of his family ? Perhaps she'd need to ask Gabriel about this to sate her curiosity. He seemed a lot more agreeable than his brother.

Benjamin sighed heavily. From the face he was making, it was clear this was not the first time this little comedy took place in front of guests. The patriarch looked at his family. « -Enough of this. » he said. « I'm sure everyone must be hungry, so let's enjoy our lunch without bickering. »

Gabriel nodded in agreement. Lucian rolled his eyes, but remained silent. Hopefully, their meal would be more peaceful...

Several long minutes passed, before servants arrived to serve their lunch, consisting of smoked roc meat with a side of seasonal vegetables. None of the Grimbarth nor their guests talked during that time, as the previous conversation between the brothers had cast a pall over the assembly.

Once everyone was finished eating however, the two patriarches became talkative again, heading for the gardens with Livia, Benjamin wanting to show something off to his guest. Lucian silently got up in turn, leaving to go about his day.

Gabriel would have been soon to follow. But he was stopped mid-movement by Evelyne calling to him. « -Pardon me, Gabriel... » she started, making the young man look back at her. « Would you be so kind as to spare me a minute ? »

The older twin stopped for a moment. Staring at Evelyne, intrigued as to what she could want from him. « -I suppose I could, indeed... » replied Gabriel with a sigh, as he sat back on his chair. « What is the matter ? »

« -Thank you very much. I will try to be as brief as possible. » The small noble wasn't expecting for the young man to agree so easily. She was usually told off, but here... It was nice that someone would listen to her, for a change. « It is about your brother, Lucian. »

« -Oh, there we go... » Gabriel commented, rolling his eyes in annoyance. « I'm guessing it has something to do with the way he's treated you so far ? My apologies, but unfortunately there isn't much I can do to help you on that front. He won't listen to me. »

Evelyne raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by her interlocutor's sudden interruption. « -Oh, do not fret. I was not going to ask such a favour from you, seeing how Lucian has behaved since our arrival... » explained the small noble. « I was just... Quite puzzled as to how much more respectful he was to your mother, compared to anyone else... Is there a reason for that ? »

« -Ah... Livia is not our biological mother. » corrected Gabriel, making the goblin even more intrigued than she already was. « Our real mother died six years ago. It just so happened that a few years later, my father and Livia fell for each other and got married. »

Evelyne was... Taken aback, to say the least. The young man was talking about his family's loss in such a rational manner... « -Oh, hm... My apologies for my insensitivity. I was not aware of all of this. » apologized the small noble.

« -There's no need to be. » shrugged the Grimbarth twin. « I've come to term with my mother's death long ago, and my father's love life is none of my business. But to me, Livia is nothing more than that. My father's wife. »

The goblin stood silent for a moment. Somehow, Gabriel's reaction seemed... Logical, to her. But perhaps because her own relationship with her father, as well as the familial norms of nobility, were quite different from what could be considered normal and made her think this way. « -I... See. » hesitantly replied Evelyne, before refocusing on what she wanted to know. « However, pardon my audacity but it still does not answer my question as to why your brother seems to respect her more than you or your father. »

The young man cracked his neck, before resting his arms on the table. « -Well, there really isn't much to say about this. » he started to explain once more. « A few years ago, Lucian discovered himself a passion for the arcane. He wanted to learn magic on a whim, and deluded himself into thinking that he could become a mage as great as the deans of the Zerdian Observatory in only a few years. »

« -And... I am guessing that he has not fared very well, has he ? » questioned Evelyne.

« -Your guess would be correct. » Gabriel nodded, his tone resentful. « His grasp on magic is mediocre at best, and for that reason, none of the mages of Narka wants him as an apprentice. »

« -I see, I see... » replied the small noble, not all that surprised by that revelation. « But it still does not tell me why Livia is exempt from his foul behaviour. »

« -Have you ever heard of the Yohrim family ? » asked Gabriel.

The goblin pondered for a second, trying to see if the name rung any bell. « -... I fear that I have not... » she admitted after a few seconds.

« -Well, I don't blame you. The Yohrim family is a family of witches, with Livia being their youngest member. » explained the Grimbarth twin. « Livia herself isn't a witch. But her sister is. And my... Dear brother... Thinks that she could help him become her more magically-inclined sister's apprentice. »

So, that was why Lucian was on his best behaviour in front of Livia... Or at least, the best he could. It seemed quite naive, but unsurprising all things considered. However, what now intrigued Evelyne even more was Gabriel's anger. The young man seemed to hate his brother so vehemently... What had he done to deserve such ire ?

« -I see... Thank you very much for your answers. » nodded the goblin. « However, pardon my curiosity once again, but you seem... Quite resentful of your brother. Is there any reason behind this ? »

« -He's dumb as a rock. » replied the Grimbarth twin without an ounce of hesitation. « And that's insulting to the rock. »

Evelyne rose an eyebrow. Well, that came out of nowhere... She had guessed Gabriel didn't hold his brother in high esteem. Truth be told, neither did she. But that was just improper. « -... What a way to present things... » commented the small noble.

The young man simply shrugged. « -You might have noticed, but I cannot stand him. » said Gabriel, his tone becoming calmer. « Not only is Lucian unsufferable, but so are his habits. I cannot tell you how many times he has invited strangers into our home, just because they said they were knowledgeable about magic... »

Inviting strangers into their home, just for the possibility of learning about the arcane arts ? How irresponsible, thought Evelyne. It seemed like a recipe for disaster... But at the same time, this information was quite valuable. If Lucian was so well-acquainted with the mages of Narka, then perhaps could he point her to an enchanter that would help resolve Zofia's issue outside of water... That is, if she could manage to convince him.

« -It sounds like your brother is keen on causing your family trouble... » nodded the goblin, as she got up from her chair. « I shall not hold your attention any longer. Thank you very much for answering my questions. »

Gabriel got up in turn, and redid his pony tail. « -My pleasure, Evelyne. » replied the young man. « Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for the afternoon. »

And on these words, the two saluted each other before going on their respective ways. With that newfound information, Evelyne decided that she would pay Lucian a visit, in the hopes that he would be cooperative... It would be unpleasant for sure, with how uncouth he had been so far. But at least, it was better than to look around with no idea where to go.

After a few minutes, Evelyne arrived in the corridor leading to Lucian's room. His door was unmistakable, with its shifting colours clashing with the rest of the corridor and its elegant decor. Failed experiment or conscious choice, the small noble had no idea.

Evelyne stopped in front of the door, eyeing it for a moment. Assessing her options as to how she could approach Lucian. But before she could even start thinking something up, the goblin's nose was assaulted by an acre smell coming from behind the door. Surprised, Evelyne stepped back. What could Lucian be getting up to for such a strong scent to exhude from his room ?

Fighting off her desire to walk away immediately, the goblin gave up on her idea to prepare and knocked on the door, hoping Lucian would answer quickly. The less time she'd have to spend putting up with the Grimbarth son and that foul smell, the better.

Fortunately, it seemed Evelyne wouldn't have to wait for long, as she heard an « -One second, I'm coming ! » shortly followed by the sound of foot steps. The door opened, as Lucian looked out to see who this visitor could be. « What is it ? » he asked. But his expression quickly shifted to disappointment, as the young man realized who was visiting.

Looking up at him, the goblin could see that Lucian was as thrilled to see her as she was to see him. The only difference being that Evelyne was able to hold a neutral face better than the mage. « -Oh... It's you... » said Lucian, barely hiding his contempt. « What do you want ? »

« -... Greetings to you too... » saluted the small noble. Lucian's lack of manners was already irritating... But she would have to put up with it for the time being. « My apologies for this impromptu visit. I... hope I did not interrupt anything. »

« -Well, I was in the middle of something, actually... » replied the young man dismissively, not even offering the goblin to get inside. « So, I'd appreciate if you could, you know... Leave. I don't really have time for you. »

How rude. Evelyne didn't even tell him anything yet, and the mage was already trying to make her leave. « -Oh, do not worry. I do not plan on nagging you for very long. » she said, ignoring the Grimbarth twin's tone. « I simply wish to have a little chat with you. »

Lucian rolled his eyes, as if the small noble just uttered the most nonsensical sentences he had ever heard in his life. « -Yeah well, I don't really want to talk with you, soooo... You're gonna have to find someone else for that. » he replied. « Like, a rock, or something. Would probably enjoy your company a bit more than me, too. Soooo... Have a good day. »

And on these words, Lucian was already on his way to shut the door in the goblin's face. But she wouldn't concede defeat so easily, as she called out to the young man. « -Lucian, please ! » Quickly, Evelyne put her foot in the door, preventing the mage from closing it all the way.

As he realized what she was doing, Lucian rolled his eyes and frowned. « -Ugh, get your feet out of there ! I just said I don't want to deal with you ! »

« -Lucian, please. » repeated the small noble with a softer tone. « I am fully aware that our relationship has been far from cordial, so far. But if my father and I are to stay with your family for the next two weeks, I truly think that we should at least get to know each other better and, perhaps, begin anew on better terms. You would find that, perhaps, we might have more things in common than you would imagine... »

In truth, Evelyne didn't think she would get along with Lucian. Between his bad mannerism, his hatred for her kind and his self-centered mind, the chances of the two getting closer were next to none. And judging by the puzzled look on the young man's face, neither did he think they would.

« -... Honestly, I don't think we do. » bluntly stated the mage, reopening his door slightly. « Sorry to break down it to you, but I don't really want to hear about what your family does, nor about the interests of... Something like you. » Lucian crudely gestured to the goblin. Such an uncouth individual. « Now if you'll excuse me, I'm experimenting with some spells and I want to get back to it. »

Evelyne stood silent for a second. She didn't have the time to prepare her approach, but if the young man was only interested in the arcane arts... « -... Are you not aware that house Valentia deals in enchanted goods as well ? » asked the goblin. Making Lucian raise an intrigued eyebrow.

« -... Sorry, what ? » he questioned back, opening his door a little more. To which Evelyne nodded.

« -Did you not know ? It is a well-known fact that house Valentia not only supplies Varendel with fabrics, clothing and luxuries of the highest quality, but also deals in enchanted commodities. » explained the small noble. She always felt a bit of pride when talking about her family ventures. After all, most of the high society of the region wouldn't be as comfortable and well-dressed as they were, were it not for house Valentia. « And as part of my education, I have become quite knowledgeable as to the procedures needed to make some things and others... »

Lucian stood silent, visibly stunned by the goblin's words. It took him a couple of moments before asking her another question. « -... Wait, what ? You know magic ? »

« -Saying that I am proficient with the arcane would be far-fetched. » the small noble replied with a nod. « But I do possess some tidbits of knowledge... Notably the process to craft the type of Pixie dye you seem to be making use of. »

« -What ? H-Hey ! » Lucian frowned, visibly vexed by the goblin's words. « I don't dye my hair ! It's... It's just been this way since one of my experiments went wrong... » The young man averted his eyes, giving Evelyne ample information as to his lie. But she would humor him, for the time being.

« -Oh... My apologies, I thought otherwise. » The small noble nodded again, feigning ignorance. « I was merely under the impression that this would be a sought-after knowledge for you. However, if this is of no interest to you... »

« -W-Wait ! » Lucian frantically interrupted Evelyne. But it was only a matter of moments before the young man realized how he reacted and with a few coughs, Lucian regained his composure. Back to the apparent contempt he had for the small noble. « I mean... New magical knowledge is always welcome. And if you want to share it with me, I guess I could listen to what you have to say for a while... » he calmly said, opening his door to the goblin and gesturing for her to come in. « Come on in. »

Evelyne stood silent for a second. She couldn't believe it had been so easy... A minute ago, Lucian didn't want to have anything to do with her and now, he was welcoming her in his room. Not that the goblin would complain about it, as it brought her closer to the knowledge she seeked. « -It would be a pleasure... Thank you very much, Lucian. » replied the small noble. And on these words, Evelyne walked into the young mage's room.

If one word could define Lucian's room, it would definitely have been « cluttered ». Piles of books scattered around the room, half-drawn magical circles drawn across the floor, a desk littered with a loose assortment of items with supposed magical properties... Some of them even looked like they had had enough living in the young man's hoard, and had decided to start floating in mid-air above the mess that was Lucian's desk.

Evelyne went wide-eyed at this sight. How could the mage live in such a room ? It looked more like a crazed hermit's laboratory than the bedroom of the son of a wealthy merchant... Even his bed was riddled with odd-looking contraptions of steel and glass. Couldn't Lucian use a spell to tidy up his room ? And that smell, ever-present...

Looking around for a moment, the goblin managed to find the source of that stench. On a small desk next to the windows, it looked as though a strange concoction was brewing in one of Lucian's mysterious pieces of equipment. What kind of mixture could he be making for it to emit such a foul smell ? To Evelyne's amazement, it didn't even seem as though it was bothering the flame-haired man in the slightest, as his windows were kept shut.

Noticing the awe on the small noble's face, the young mage couldn't help himself to a snarky little smile. « -Impressed by my collection ? » he cockily asked.

That, a collection ? All Evelyne could see around her was nothing more than a loose accumulation of random trinkets and baubles. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why those things were kept together, nothing that would strike as a collection, as far as she could tell. « -I... » hesitated the goblin, her eyes going back to the young man. « … Am most certainly astounded by such an hoard. »

Lucian's smile grew wider at those words, as he closed the door. « -Heh, you should expect as much from a great mage such as myself ! » boasted the young man. « I'll let you know that a mage's magical prowess can be measured by the amount of artifacts they possess. And as you can see, I've got quite a few to show for it, hm ? »

Evelyne rose an intrigued eyebrow. Wouldn't it have been a byproduct, rather than an indicator ? Nevertheless, she would keep humoring the mage for the time being. « -Without a doubt... » she replied, unconvinced. The goblin then started looking for a place to sit. Not finding anything else, she settled on Lucian's bed, finding a spot free from his devices and taking place. « It must have been quite difficult to assemble such a wide collection. »

« -Oh, let's just say I know the good people to get whatever I need. » The young man grabbed the chair next to his desk to sit down in turn, facing Evelyne. « Most of these are pretty rare, so it's not really the kind of collection you'd end up getting that easily. I don't think you'd understand what most of these even do... Can goblins even do magic ? »

It didn't take long for him to be unpleasant again, thought the small noble. « -There is no reason why they could not. » replied Evelyne, hiding her irritation. « I may not be capable of magical prowess myself, but it only stems from my lack of education for the arcane. Not an innate inability. »

Lucian snickered. « -Yeah, whatever you say... » he retorted with a smug smile on his face. Fortunately, the mage didn't linger on his mockery for too long, quickly changing the subject. « Anyway, you did say you know how to make Pixie dye, right ? »

Evelyne stood silent, slightly disappointed. If one thing was for sure, it was that Lucian had no time to waste. « -This is indeed what I said. » replied the goblin. But if the mage thought he would get his recipe before she knew what she wanted, he would have been badly mistaken. « However, you might understand that explaining this process to you is no small favour... »

« -Oh, yeah. » Lucian rolled his eyes. Judging by the annoyed look on his face, it seemed as though it wasn't the first time someone asked something of him in exchange for knowledge. « Should have seen it coming... What do you want ? »

The small noble smirked in turn. Now that she was the one in control, the young man already seemed a lot more agreeable. « -Worry not, I am certain you will find my price reasonable. » said Evelyne. « All I would like to ask for in return is for you to answer a question. »

Lucian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. If anything, he did not expect for the goblin's demand to be so small. « -Huh... Sure. Ask away, I guess. »

« -Thank you very much. » she nodded. « I have heard from your brother that you are well-acquainted with the mages of Narka. So, my question is... Would you be able to give me the name of a competent enchanter somewhere in the city ? »

The young man furrowed his brows. « -What ? » he asked back, visibly confused by the question. « I mean, I know a guy, sure... But isn't there a lot more enchanters in Swiftrive ? Why wouldn't you search for someone from there instead ? »

Evelyne bit her lower lip. She had hoped Lucian wouldn't question her, and simply agree to get the instructions necessary to make his hair dye. But of course, it couldn't be that easy « -... I simply require the services of one in the shortest delay possible. »

« -... What do you even need for it to be that pressing ? » kept questioning the flame-haired mage. « Are you planning on killing someone during the festival, or something ? »

Evelyne rolled her eyes. « -Please, do not make such ridiculous assumptions. I am not scheming the death of anyone. » explained the goblin, her tone more annoyed than anything. She didn't really want to say more than she needed to Lucian. « However, I would still kindly ask of you to respect my privacy on that matter. But be assured that I am in no way ill-intentioned. »

« -... Okaaaay... » Lucian replied, visibly suspicious. Evelyne was worried for a moment that he would end up refusing to tell her anything, but his following words thankfully proved her wrong. « Well, if you need something done THAT fast, you can try the Valden Workshop, I guess. »

The small noble felt relieved hearing this. The last thing she wanted was to explain herself to Lucian. Nevertheless, Evelyne kept her composure, as difficult as it was because of the foul smell filling the room. « -The Valden Workshop... I see. Thank you very much. » said the goblin. « And, would you be so kind as to tell me where I could find it ? »

« -Blackwyrm Street. » replied the young man, not missing a beat. « It's in the southern part of town. Just tell them I sent you, they'll get what you need faster than you can ask for it. »

Evelyne nodded. Blackwyrm Street... The goblin never really explored the southern part of Narka, and thus the location was unknown to her. But the small noble guessed that if Lucian was on such good terms with the workshop, the stagecoach driver would surely know where to take her in order to find it. « -Then, you have my gratitude. Without your help, I might not have had enough time to obtain what I wanted. »

« -Yeah, yeah, you're welcome... » Lucian responded dismissively, running out of patience. « I replied to your question, now can you tell me how Pixie dye is made ? »

The goblin stood silent for a second, before chuckling. Right, she still had to do that... « -Very well. Since you upheld your part of our agreement, it is now my turn. Although my explanation might take a while... »

The mage smiled, already more excited by this prospect. « -Finally ! » exclaimed Lucian. « Now, if you could juuuuust give me a minute... » On these words, the flame-haired man got up from his chair and took it back toward his desk. There, he quickly grabbed a few sheets of paper alongside a small purple quill and pushed some of the junk on his desk aside before turning back to Evelyne, fully geared for the lesson. « Okay, I'm ready ! You can start ! »

The small noble stared at Lucian for a moment. « -... As you wish. » she replied. With the two of them now on opposite sides of the room, explaining to the young man how to craft dye was gonna be a little more unpleasant. Oh well, just a detail to add on top of that atrocious concoction... But Evelyne decided to abstain from making any comment. The faster she would be done here, the faster she could go to Blackwyrm Street. « Then, allow me to first tell you about the components you will need for this brew... »


End file.
